Ray Spencer

Ray has been involved in the Emerald community for almost 30 years as well as running his own specialised electrical installations and machinery importing business.  He is a prominent member of Emerald Lions Club and has been instrumental in establishing the Emerald Lions “Grow it Bake It Make It” Market that has been operating monthly for the past five years, along with many other community service activities.

Ray puts his commitment to the betterment of our community down to the satisfaction he gets from making a difference, making new friends and working with others. 

He has been on the Board of the Emerald Co-Op for 6 years, including the Chairman’s role. Ray’s leadership skills in both business and community relations have helped guide the Co-Op to the success it is today.

Joe Siegel

With 30 years in the meat export industry and farming, Joe moved into imported organic grocery distribution. For the past 23 years, he has been involved with a Bioscience company where they ethically harvest animal tissues to use in human medical devices like Aortic heart valves.

Joe’s expertise is invaluable to various boards and his accumulated business acumen during his work life has allowed him to experience both losses that he has learnt from and of course, successes that allow him to contribute to other organisations. Joe himself says he has the battle scars to be able to contribute to our board.

He is a believer in the synergy and capacity of a skilled group to achieve optimum outcomes. Joe believes in doing what is right, not pursuing who is right and that’s how he operates as a member of the Emerald Cooperative Board.

Robert Brennan

Rob has lived in Macclesfield since 2014 and he owns and operates a professional services consultancy business with specialisms of leadership development, facilitation services, business planning and executive coaching.

Successfully completing his Bachelor of Veterinary Science degree in 1976, Rob spent six years in private veterinary practice in Tasmania before undertaking veterinary roles for the South Australian Government and Commonwealth Government. He went on to achieve a Graduate Diploma in Adult Education and a Masters in Applied Science; Social Ecology. In 1992 he commenced in private practice as a management consultant in Canberra. Since that time, he has honed his facilitation skills and enjoys working with people in a range of industries, helping them to develop their skills, confidence, and capability.

Rob joined the Emerald Cooperative Board in February 2024, and he brings a ‘level-headed’ and balanced approach to the group. He uses his business expertise and skills to help the organisation in its leadership development, business planning, decision making and communications.

In his private time Rob works on his small acreage tending to his herd of two horses and two donkeys where his veterinary skills and experience come in very handy!

Ric Holland

Ric has a lifetime of experience of working at a high level within the corporate and community sector. He has had five CEO appointments with a range of multi million dollar organisations both in Australia and overseas. He has also sat on dozens of Boards of Directors  including some prestigious organisations like the Committee for Melbourne, VCOSS, and Progressive Business. He has been appointed to a number of Government Advisory bodies and is a full member of AICD.

Ric’s driving force is his commitment to social justice and he has been responsible for creating many new organisations and companies with this as a central philosophy.

Additionally Ric has worked for many years within the Media, print, radio and TV. With a national responsibility he has developed hundreds of programs in all forms of media across the UK using that communication force of social good.

Ric is also an ordained Minister of Religion with the Uniting Church in Australia and has graduate and post graduate training in Theology, Business Administration, Counselling, Ethics and Sociology.

Ric is married with three adult children and lives in Macclesfield.

Robert Herring

Robert's professional career is in Information Technology, working 25 years in the Banking Industry and since 2010 working in the Mining Industry and brings a wealth of experience working in the corporate sector.

Robert also works with his partner Gayle Herring who runs a successful alpaca farm and alpaca fibre processing business. 

Robert has lived in Macclesfield since 1988 and has delighted in seeing  the local community grow and change over the past 35 years.

Robert joined the Emerald Cooperative Board in November 2022 seeing this as an opportunity to give back to the local community.